That First Meeting
by Fangirling It 7
Summary: Clarke and Lexa's thought during their first meeting
1. Clarke's Thoughts

_I own nothing. This is just my idea of what I thought Clarke might be thinking about during her first meeting with Lexa._

"If you so much as look at her wrong way, I will slit your throat," said a muscular grounder. He was at least a foot taller. The black war paint on his face makes him look twice as fearsome looking. Though I suppose that is the point. He turned and walked to the tent entrance and held it open for me. I took a deep breath before walking into the tent.

Just inside the tent there was another grounder standing there. This one had a mask on. Why do some of the grounders wear masks and others wear the war paint? Is it a ranking system or is it just personal preference? I make a note to ask Octavia when things settle down.

As I walk more fully into the tent I finally get my first glimpse at the commander. She is lounging on what looks to be a throne. She has another guard to her left, but my eyes stay focused on the woman on the throne. I'm slightly taken aback by how young she is. She looks like she is my age; maybe a few years older. She is very beautiful, even with the paint on her face, it somehow enhances her beauty. I find myself briefly wondering what she looks like without the paint on. Keep it together, Clarke. You are here to try and stop a war; not lust after the woman trying to kill us all. I have to convince the commander, Lexa, I absently think that is what Jaha said her name was.

The commander is turning the dagger in her hand over and has yet to look up at me. The dagger in her hand continues to move. That is kind of intimidating, I have no doubt that if she decided to throw it at me, she wouldn't miss. Okay, I can do this. I remind myself. Show no fear. Act confident. It was the same advice I had given my mom earlier in the day.

Still without looking up at me the commander starts to speak, "You're the one who burned three hundred of my warriors alive." She is still playing with the dagger in her hands.

Without thinking I shot back, "You're the one who sent them there to kill us." That gets her attention and she finally looks up. She has green eyes; the paint makes the green shine brighter. She stabs the dagger against the arm of the throne. Another thinly veiled threat. She does it show me who is the real power in the tent and to remind me that I have no weapon.

"Do you have an answer for me, Clarke of the Sky People?" she asks.

This is the moment. I have to make her take this offer or we are all going to die, "I have come to make you an offer."

"This is not a negotiation," the commander flatly responds.

The woman next to her begins to speak in the grounder language, "teik ai frag em op en de disha odon kom." I don't know what she said, but the commander puts her hand up and the woman instantly falls silent.

I take advantage of the silence and throw out my end of the offer, "I can help you beat the mountain men."

She puts the dagger back on her lap. I can tell I have her attention before she says, "Go on."

"Hundreds of your people are trapped inside Mount Weather, kept in cages. Their blood is used as medicine." As I explain the conditions of the grounders, the commander and the other grounders in the tent begin to look angrier.

"How do you know this?" she demands.

"Because I saw them. My people are prisoners there too. I was one of them."

"Lies. No one escapes the mountain." The woman on the commanders left side states.

"I did. With Anya. We fought our way out together."

"Another lie," the woman insists then adds, "Anya died in the fire. You killed her." She isn't completely wrong. Anya didn't die in that fire at the dropship, but by dragging her all the way back to Camp Jaha I did get her killed.

Without thinking I put my hand in my jacket pocket. I immediately notice that every grounder tenses and all of the guards grip the handle of their weapons more firmly. I can hear a few begin to leave the sheath they were in. The commander only cocks her head up and looks on with curiosity. She doesn't seem to grip the blade in her hand any tighter. I lock eyes on her and pull out Anya's braid and show it to her and explain why I have it. "She told me you were her second. I'm sure she'd want you to have it."

I start towards her to give it to her. She looks at the braid; looks almost lost in thought. I think I was right to bring it. I wasn't sure if the grounders would look at my bringing it as sign of respect or insult. After I woke up in Camp Jaha, I went to where the guard had put Anya's body and I cut a braid off the same way I had seen her do with her second a few weeks ago. The commander seems to appreciate the gesture.

The woman next to her says, "We don't know it's her."

Before I can try to persuade the commander it really is Anya, she tells the woman something in their language. The woman falls quiet again.

"Anya was my mentor before I was called to lead my people." It sounds like they were close. The commander places the braid next to her on the arm of the throne and still looking at the braid asks, "Did she die well?"

"Yes." I answer honestly. She didn't fear dying. I wish I could have saved her. "By my side, trying to get a message to you." I should have gotten Anya to agree to my plan after our fight at the dropship. If we had gone our separate ways then, she'd still be alive. We might have been able to stop this impeding war between our people.

"What message?" asks the commander.

"The only way to save both our people is if we join together."

"Those who are about to die will say anything." Says the woman. It sounded like the commander called her Indra earlier.

"I'm still waiting for an offer, Clarke." My name sounds nice coming from those lips.

I go in for my pitch hoping it will be enough. "The Mountain Men are turning your people into reapers. I can turn them back."

"Impossible," shouts Indra. Then she starts to speak in the grounder language again, "Heda, ai beg yu teik ai frag em op."

I continue hoping the commander will side with me, "I've done it, with Lincoln."  
That seems to really set Indra off. She rushes from the commander's side at me pulling at her sword as she comes at me, "That traitor is the reason my village was slaughtered…"

"Indra…" starts the commander calmly, but Indra keeps yelling in my face about the village Finn slaughtered.

"Emplenti." Shouts the commander and she stands in front of her throne. Indra stares at me another second or two before moving behind me and falling silent.

The commander is walking towards me, slowly. It would be hot if I wasn't so worried I might not leave this tent alive. She stops a few feet in front of me and says, "You say you can turn reapers back into men?"

I nod once and say, "Yes."

"Then prove it. Show me Lincoln."

I nod again and turn to leave the tent. I hear the commander and the other grounders begin to follow me. I got the commander to at least be open to the idea of a truce, but now I begin to worry about whether my mom was able to keep Lincoln alive. I close my eyes for a moment and silently pray she was able to keep Lincoln alive or we will all die. When I open my eyes I purposefully walk towards the dropship.

Translations:

teik ai frag em op en de disha odon kom- Let me kill her and get this over with

Heda, ai beg yu teik ai frag em op.- Commander, I beg you let me kill her.

Emplenti- Enough


	2. Lexa's Thoughts

_I own nothing. This is just my idea of what Lexa was thinking during her first meeting with Clarke. I'm not sure I got her persona exactly right._

These strangers from the sky are proving to be much more resourceful then I had originally thought. First the young ones that first appeared to be an easy target, but then they managed to kill three hundred of my warriors in a ring of fire. Then I met two of these sky people Thelonious and Marcus. There was something off about Thelonious; I'm not sure what it was, but for a prisoner of war he acted as if he had no care in the world. Marcus, on the other hand, seemed desperate. Desperate for peace between us and them. Desperate to make amends for a massacre he ordered, but not in the village outside TonDC. I believed the men when they said they didn't know about the massacre in TonDC. When I released Thelonious I gave him a simple message to take back to his people: Leave or Die. Jus drein jus daun. If the sky people leave I will not follow. By all accounts it was one maybe two people who murdered eighteen of my people. I have no wish to eliminate the sky people for the acts of two. If they leave I will be able to tell the coalition that fear of facing their Heda in battle mad the sky people leave. If they are foolish enough to stay and fight, then the sky people will be a distant memory. Either way I will be able to keep the coalition appeased.

"Heda." Says Gustus from the entrance of my tent.

"Min op, Gustus."

"Heda kom skai kru gaf in kom sen in." This surprises me. I thought we would see signs of them retreating or preparing to fight. I didn't anticipate them sending someone, part of me hopes it isn't Thelonious. During my time with Thelonious and Marcus they spoke of a woman, Abby, and it sounded like she was the new leader of the sky people in the two men's absence. That had confused me because my spotters had said that the female leader and healer before the ring of fire had been Clarke.

Out of curiosity I ask, "chon gaf in kom sen in."

"Klark kom skai kru." That was the name that my spotters had used. The leadership of these people doesn't make sense.

I nodded in approval of seeing Clarke. "Send Indra in," I called in the enemy's' language to Gustus as he left.

I walked over to my throne and sat down and I pull the dagger from the strap at my waist. If I kept it in its usual place it would dig uncomfortably into my abdomen and I didn't want that during a meeting with a leader from the sky people. I heard the flap of my tent open again and Indra stepped in and she bows her head at me and took her place on my left side.

I absentmindly began to flip my dagger in my hand over and over. Soon I hear Gustus voice, "If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I will slit your throat." I roll my eyes at his over protectiveness. I am more than capable of handling any of the sky people. I mentally berate myself for being over confident, Clarke of the Sky People has already managed to burn three hundred of my warriors alive. She has proven to be a formidable opponent.

I hear the flap again and briefly look up and see a beautiful blonde haired woman walks in. Her eyes are as blue as the oceans. Skin pale as if she's never been in the sun. She is beautiful despite the multiple cuts and bruises that are on her face. She looked as if the fight had been just days ago; perhaps these sky people are more resilient.

I look back down at my dagger and say, "You're the one who burned three hundred of my warriors alive."

"You're the one who sent them there to kill us." Clarke shoots back, I smile inwardly. I decided I liked this girl. She might be an enemy, but she is holding her own with me. She isn't showing any fear perhaps the sky people aren't as weak as I first thought.

"Do you have an answer for me, Clarke of the Sky People?" I ask her. I find myself hoping that the sky people choose to run. If they run I might have the chance to see this woman again.

"I have come to make you an offer." An offer? I wasn't expecting that.

"This isn't a negotiation." I tell her. She must decide for her people: Run or Fight.

"Teik ai frag em op en de disha odon kom." Says Indra in our language. I hold my hand up in order to silence her. I might not trust the sky people but for some reason I feel I can trust Clarke even though she hasn't given me a reason to, yet.

As soon as Indra stops talking, Clarke begins talking again, "I can help you beat the mountain men."

I wasn't expecting that kind of offer. "Go on."

"Hundreds of your people are trapped inside Mount Weather. Kept in cages. Their blood used as medicine." I sit up straighter at her declaration. I could feel Gustus and Indra stand taller as well.

"How do you know this?" I demand. I find myself torn between being relieved that those taken by the mountain are not dead, but I also feel rage at the fact that my people are being kept like animals.

"Because I saw them. My people are prisoners there too. I was one of them."

"Lies. No one escapes the mountain." Snapped Indra. She said who at we were all thinking. I wanted to believe Clarke's claim, but if even my strongest warriors couldn't break free from the mountain how did Clarke manage it.

"I did. With Anya. We fought our way out together." Anya? This doesn't make sense. Anya was supposed to have died in the ring of fire.

"Another lie. Anya died in the fire. You killed her." Said Indra. Clarke needs to explain what she meant about Anya fast.

Clarke moved put her hand in her pocket to pull something out. I hear my guards reach for their weapons. I wasn't sure what she reaching for, but I know she doesn't have a weapon. She would have been searched before entering, but also because all the reports of the blonde leader I had seen suggested that was often without a weapon.

Clarke looked up at me and we locked eyes with each other as she pulled a braid out of her pocket. A braid? Why did she have that?

"She told me you were her second. I'm sure she would want you to have it." She walked forward and handed it to me. I look at it. Then I replay what Clarke had said. Yes, Anya had been my mentor, but how did she know that? Was it possible Clarke spoke the truth and Anya didn't die in the ring of fire. How would Clarke know to cut the braid of a fallen warrior? A question for another time.

"We don't know it's hers." Said Indra.

"Shof op, Indra." I had questions as to how Clarke came to have Anya's braid, but I believe what Clarke has said so far.

"Anya was my mentor before I was called to lead by people." I look down at the braid in my hand a wave of sadness washes over me. I begin to think about my first training lesson with Anya. I turn away from Clarke; I cannot show weakness in front of Clarke. I gently place Anya's braid on the table next to my throne and ask Clarke, "Did she die well?" I curse myself for the break in my voice.

"Yes. By my side trying to get a message to you." I look back over to Clarke. What kind of message could Clarke have gotten Anya to pass on for her?

"What message?"

"The only way to save both our people is if we join together."

"Those who are about to die will say anything." Said Indra. I was glad for Indra's interjection because it gave me more time to think.

If the conditions in the mountain were as Clarke described and Anya had been alive to see it; I think Anya would have come to me with Clarke's idea for us to join together in order to defeat the mountain men. If Anya trusted Clarke, a leader who had bested her so thoroughly the last few weeks, maybe I should trust Clarke too.

Coming to a decision I said, "I'm still waiting for an offer, Clarke." I decide I like the way her name tastes in my mouth.

"The mountain men are turning your people into reapers. I can turn them back." Bold claim from Clarke. When my people were taken by the mountain it was a tragedy. If a loved one came back as a reaper it was common practice to quickly end their life to end the suffering.

"Impossible." Shouts Indra, "Heda, ai beg yu teik ai frag em op." I feel for Indra if Clarke can do what she is claiming I wonder what effect it would have on my general. Shortly after I became commander Indra's younger brother was taking and a few months later returned as a reaper and she was forced to kill him. Since that day I have never heard Indra utter his name.

"I've done it with Lincoln," says Clarke.

"That traitor is the reason-" says Indra as she starts at Clarke.

"Indra…" I caution when I hear her sword begin to leave its sheath I understand Indra's anger towards Lincoln, by falling in love with the sky girl he made TonDC a target for the reapers.

"….my village was slaughtered…"

"Emplenti." I shout at Indra. I mourn the deaths of the eighteen men from Indra's village, but until Clarke does something in this tent to warrant her death I will not let my generals cut Clarke down. Indra stares at Clarke for anther long minute before she retreats behind her and looks up at me.

I stroll down to stand in front of Clarke. Up close I can see that some of Clarke's bruises on her face have yellowed and fade, while others are still black. I find myself momentarily thinking about how she might look without all the cuts and bruises marring her beautiful pale skin.

"You say you can turn reapers back into me?" I repeat her proposition back to her to make sure there was no misunderstanding between us.

She gives a slight nod before responding with a simple, "Yes."

"Then prove it. Show me Lincoln." I hope for Clarke's sake that she is not lying because I would rather the opportunity to get to know this golden haired beauty, but if she is lying I will not spare her.

Translations

Enter- min op

Commander of the sky people wants to be heard- Heda kom skai kru gaf in kam sen in.

Who wishes to be heard- chon gaf in kom sen in

Queit- shof of

Let me kill her and get this over with- teik ai frag em op en de disha odon kom-

Commander, I beg you let me kill her- Heda, ai beg yu teik ai frag em op.-

Enough-emplenti


End file.
